Caroline H. Little is president and chief executive of the Arlington-based Newspaper Association of America.

Nearly four decades ago, the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) feared that dominant newspapers
would control all local news in their markets. So the FCC crafted a rule
that prohibited investors from owning both a newspaper and a television
or radio station in the same city.

That policy, adopted in 1975, seems quaint going into 2013. To
put the explosive growth of the Internet in context: In the first six
months of this year, Google brought in more advertising revenue than all
printed daily and Sunday newspapers and magazines in the United States
combined. While online, TV and mobile-app markets are teeming with new
players, newspapers can no longer be seen as dominant.